Parliamentary Delegation Visits Timor-Leste This Week As Witness K and Collaery Visit Court

Centre Alliance Senator Rex Patrick has just departed Darwin to make the eighty minute air journey to Dili where he will participate in Australia’s first Parliamentary Delegation to Timor-Leste since 2011.

The visit is part of efforts by Australia to rebuild relations with Timor-Leste after the Howard Government defrauded the impoverished country of oil and gas revenue by spying on their negotiating team’s private deliberations back in 2004. Unfortunately, the visit comes in the same week the two Australians that ultimately ensured Timor-Leste got a better deal are set to appear in court for assisting that country get a just outcome, something that won’t be lost on the Timorese.

"I’m very glad to be part of the delegation," said Rex as he departed Darwin. "Australia still has much work to do to strengthen relations with Timor-Leste."

"Next year will mark the twentieth anniversary of Timor-Leste’s independence ballot, and there will be much to celebrate. Unfortunately, the long dispute over maritime boundaries and energy resources cast a pall over our bilateral relations for much of that period."

"It is sadly ironic that the Parliamentary delegation's visit coincides with the second appearance of former Australian Secret Intelligence Service officer Witness K and his lawyer Bernard Collaery in the ACT Magistrates court."

"By blowing the whistle on former Foreign Minister Alexander Downer’s shameful spying operation against the East Timorese cabinet, Witness K exposed the morally bankrupt nature of Australian policy towards our small and impoverished neighbour. The Howard Government repeatedly professed friendship while secretly and unlawfully plotting to defraud Timor-Leste of huge petroleum and gas revenues."

"The Australian Government described the March 2018 maritime boundary agreement as the beginning of ‘a new era in relations’ between Timor-Leste and Australia, but instead of focussing on rebuilding trust and understanding, the Government seems intent on rubbing salt into the wound."

The 'Treaty between Australia and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste establishing their Maritime Boundaries in the Timor Sea' was signed in New York on 6 March 2018. Thirteen days later the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecution wrote to Attorney-General Christian Porter recommending that Witness K and Colleary, the heroes of the story, be charged. The Attorney-General consented to this in May, knowing full well it would only aggravate the situation.

"It is a disgrace that the Attorney-General authorised this highly political and internationally sensitive prosecution to proceed. The prosecution of Witness K and Bernard Collaery should be dropped without delay," said Rex.

To make matters worse, Australia's new Foreign Minister Marise Payne made a speech on 'international order based on rules and cooperation' to the UN General Assembly last month stating that "The [Timor] Treaty underscores Australia's commitment to international law, and is testament to the way in which international law, in particular the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, enables countries to resolve disputes peacefully and properly, abiding by the rules."

Minister Payne's speech was in direct contrast to the Timor Sea Justice Forum's plea to the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties for the Foreign Minister and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to refrain from claiming the high moral ground in reference to the Timor Sea.

"This Government just doesn't get it," said Rex. "We should be rebuilding trust and understanding, not kicking sand up into the Timorese faces."

Senator Patrick will participate in the delegation alongside Kenneth O’Dowd MP, Sharon Claydon MP, and Senator Patrick Dodson.